Knee bracket



March 26, 1940. E. FERRlNl 2,194,648

KNEE BRACKET Filed Aug. 23. 1939 INVENTOR WITN ES/J/WM I ATTORNEIYS Patented Mar. 26, 1940 PATENT OFFICE Ernest Ferrini, SantaMonica, Calif. Application August 23, 1939, Serial No. 291,624 r t 2Claims. '(Cl.30 1--32) a at My invention relates to scaffold knee brackets or stirrups and has as one of the principal objects thereof the provision of a knee bracket or stirrup so constructed and arranged as to be readily adjustable with respect tothe scaffold upright and which functions to reliably support a beam in fixed connected relation with said upright.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the above described character which is simple in construction, durable in use, eflicient in operation and economical in manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the above described character capable of accommodating and supporting beams or the like of various sizes together with means for clamping said beams or the like thereto,

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claims and annexed drawing.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views: v

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of my novel form of knee brackets or stirrups as applied brackets or stirrups secured to a pair of uprights and supporting therebetween a horizontally disposed beam or the like.

Figure 6 is a side'elevation of my novel form of knee bracket or stirrup illustrating the latter as connecting a pair of uprights together whereby to obtain increased height of a scaffold.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6. i

In practicing my invention, as illustrated in the drawing, I provide knee brackets or stirrups 5 adjustably connected to the uprights 6 of a scaffold construction and which coact together to support substantially horizontally disposed beams l or the like in connected relation with the uprights whereby said beams may be utilized for supporting platforms and workmen or for other Supporting purposes. Inasmuch as all of the stirrups are of identical construction a detailed description of one will suffice, it being understood that the reference characters indicative of partsof onestirrup are likewiseindicative of the same parts of the otherfstirrups.

My novel form of knee bracket or stirrup 5 comprises two pairs of spacedinner and outer arms 8 and 9 respectively. Theupper end portions Ill and ii of the arms 8 and 9 respectively are angularly disposed with respectto their body portions l2 and'l3 respectively; However, theupper end portions ll of the arms 9 are of a greater length than the upper end portions l0 of the arms 8'and' the outer ends of allol said upperend portions are detachably connected together by a transversely extending bolt M the latter being provided on the ends thereof with wing nuts '15.. whereby to maintain said arms in connected rela-5 tion.

The ,upper end portions Ill of the arms 8 have extending therethrough, adjacent their body portions l2, a transverse bolt l6 and which is fixed to said end portions by means of nuts H. The bolts 14 and it are sufficiently spaced to engage the oppositely disposed faces of an uprightG as clearly illustrated in the dr ing and to effect clamping engagement therewith whenweight is appliedto said arms. 1 The lower ends of the arms 8 are connected by means of a bolt l8 and rivets l9t0 the inner ends of spaced stirrup plates 20 and are maintained in fixed relation therewith. The lowerends of the arms 9 are pivotally connected to the outer ends of the plates 20 by means of a bolt 2| Wherebyto permit pivoting movement of the arms 9 as hereinafter set forth.

Interposed between the plates 20 is a stirrup-H iron 22 having upwardly diverging side walls 23 terminating at their upper ends in loops 24 embracing and overlying the bolts l8 and 2| whereby to maintain said stirrup-iron 22 in suspended condition between the plates 20 and also to serve as a spacer for said plates. The inner endsof upright 6 when weight is applied to the stirrups the beams l to clamp the latter against the arms 8 when said beams are resting upon the plates 20.

When the beams l are thus clamped to the stirrups 5 they may be utilized for supporting workmen or platforms and the weight initiated thereby serves to effectively clamp thestlrrups to the uprights through the medium of the bolts [4 and I6 engaging opposite faces thereof. Upon removal of the wing nuts Hi, the arms 9 may be pivoted outwardly to permit insertion of the beams I or removal thereof from the stirrups.

In some instances, it is desirable to increase the length of the uprights 6 and my novel form of knee brackets or stirrups 5 readily lend themselves for that purpose inasmuch as the lower ends of additional uprights 28 may be inserted between the plates 20 and seated within the stirrup-irons 22 as clearly illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawing. When the uprights 28 are thus seated, they are clamped therein in the same manneras the beams 1 through the medium of the bolts 25. If itis desired to lend rigidity to the structure, U bolts 29 are employed which clamp the lower end sections of the uprights to the upper end sections of the uprights 6, blocks 30 being interposed between the uprights to compensate for the spacing of the lower ends of .the uprights 28 from the uprights 6 by the walls 23 of the stirrup-irons 22.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I haveprovided a simple and efiicient form of knee bracket or stirrup which may be adjusted to any position on the upright of a scafiolding to support either other uprights or horizontally disposed beams, cross-pieces or the like.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined .to the herein described use therefor as it may be utilized for any purpose to which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction as illustrated and described, as the same is only 'illustrative of the principles of operation, which are capable of extended application in advance forms, and that the invention comprehends all construction within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising, pairs of spaced arms adapted to embrace a support member, means connecting all of said arms together, means connecting one pair of said arms together and coacting with said first mentioned means for adjustably clamping all of said arms to said member, spaced plates carried by said arms and adapted to engage said member and support'an adjacent member in connected relation with said first mentioned mem ber, and means carried by one pair of said arms for clamping said adjacent member against the other pair of said arms.

2. A device of the character described, com- .prising, pairs of spaced arms having angular related end portions adapted to embrace a support 7 member, means connecting all of said end portions together, means connecting the end portions of one pair of said arms together and coacting with said first mentioned means for adjustably clamping all of said arms to said member, spaced plates carried by said arms and adapted to engage said member and support an adjacent member in connected relation with said first mentioned member, and means carried by one pair of said arms for clamping said adjacent member against the other pair of said arms.

ERNEST FERRINI. e35 

